The judge issued sentences of 20 years in prison, followed by 30 years of probation. It was a compromise between the harsher sentences that the prosecutor sought and the more lenient punishment requested by their parents.

The prosecutor alleged that in Sept. 2015, Christopher, then 22, and Cameron, then 17, drugged their parents by putting Xanax in their cocktails. Yvonne and ZacharyErvin awoke to their sons beating and stabbing them. They had also cut a gas line with plans to blow up the house. Yvonne, however, called 911 and the police arrived in time.

At the hearing, Christopher and Cameron expressed remorse and blamed their actions on drug and alcohol addictions. Their parents spoke on their behalf, underscoring their sons’ battle with substance abuse and depression. They described Christopher and Cameron as “redeemable.”

“These are not the sons we raised,” the mother said. “My sons would not do something like this.”

Their father said he “saw Satan” on the night of the attack.

He added: “I knew shortly after that that what had happened to us wasn’t my sons. And that’s why I’ve been able to stand with them to be advocates for them.”

The parents created a nonprofit foundation named Fight For Forgiveness. Through the organization, they shed light on depression and promote the power of forgiveness.